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Panthers, from ic and pull. "He is really quick for a big kid. He comes off the ball pretty well." Eddie Morgan and Gary Foskey are also looking for playing time at guard. However, Morgan has a groin pull, and Foskey is coming off an knee injury. Larry Beard, who lettered at tight end last year, is the starter there this year. Even though Stephens is not a proponent of the forward pass, his receivers might make a believer of him. Stephens said the Panthers will have four people who can catch the ball this year. Senior Corey Harvey and junior Steve Whitfield return after getting letters at the position. Kily Edgenton, a transfer from California, will give the Panthers some size at 180 pounds. Stephens notes that Edgenton is fairly quick, turning a 4.6 40, and has good hands. Another find at receiver is 130 pound Sabastain Anderson, who is also making his first appearance at History, from 2C barely a half minute remaining in the half after a 76 yard drive. In what turned out to be the play of the game, Staines cracked the the Hornet extra point team, and blocked the PAT, making the score 6-0 at tlie half. Late in the third, the Hornets got the ball on the Southland 39, and drove steadily down the field, taking nine plays to advance to the goal line. From one yard out, Talton fol lowed his center for the score. He then connected on the extra point to give Westfield a ticket to the semi final game. Hornets 20 Geo. Walton 7 For the third time, the Hornets met a familiar foe in the plavoffs. Clark , from ic in the GHSA. That means around 28 percent of schools in the GHSA have new coaches. But, it really isn't as bad as it sounds. Most of the changes are simply that, changes. Very few coaches have been fired or retired. A few have gone to college jobs, but most are simply changes, some of them of the Roley, from 1C and not on paper. Although Jones is looking to answer a lot of ques tions the first three or four weeks of the season, the Hornets should have quiet a sting in them. Quarterback Matthew Shepley saw some playing time behind Lon Talton, although he saw most of his playing time at other positions. He should know the offense some. Also returning to the offense is Michael Davis. Davis missed four games, and by missing those four games, he could have missed a chance at 1,000 yards. On defense, the Hornets are led by Jere Campbell, who returns to the linebacker position he held last year. Westfield should be bolstered by the addition of Tim Allen, who saw action for the Panthers at linebacker. Also, winning tends to become contagious. The Hornets know what it takes to be an excellent team. After three seasons of playing doormat in the private school league, Westfield was one game away from winning it all last year. That should carry into the coming year. Perry will start a week after the Hornets, hosting Jordan of Columbus the first Friday in September. Coach John Stephens also has a lot of questions to be an swered, as his team was also hit hard by graduation. The Panthers will be looking to improve on a 6-5 1993 campaign, a i Have The Best Season Yet! & Richardson-Free A Realty, Inc. _Jjgges£ygj|^gg^_ A,"** Perry High School will miss the leadership of Shawn Bass from the veer formation. Junior quarterback Kawaukee Thomas Is In line to take the mantle from Bass In the 1994 season. a Panther practice as a senior. "He is catching the ball pretty well," Earlier in the year, the Hornets knocked off the Bulldogs 35-7 at homecoming. Walton was not expected to be one of the final four teams in the G.I.S.A. playoffs. But, a stunning upset of Pinewood, 21-3, gave the Bulldogs a chance for revenge. Although the Hornets would not have their way with Walton, the Bulldogs still went home on the opposite end of a 20-7 score. As it had been all year long for the Hornets, the duo of Blocker and Talton provided much of the offen sive punch. Talton found receivers on six of eight passes for 84 yards, and Blocker gained 160 yards on 20 chain-reaction variety. For example, when George Bobo decided to leave the head job at Thomasville, look what it produced. Neal Rumble left a successful position at Peach County to go back home to Thomasville, the only job he says he would have taken other than Peach. Then Rodney Walker left campaign mat could have been much worse, with Perry getting off to a 1-4 start While the Panthers will be mov ing down in classification from AAA to AA, don't look for any help. With Mary Persons leading Region 3AA and Houston County trying to prove that they aren't pre tenders to the region crown, the Panthers have landed in the middle of one of the toughest regions in the state. Last year the Bulldogs were state runner-up, missing the big trophy by a field goal, and the Bears were state semi-finalists. Overall, it should be an inter esting season. Both teams are look ing good, and I expect both teams to make some noise in their respec tive regions. Like brother Phil Clark, I'm looking forward to the kickoff. *** * * I've Georgia picked as high as 24th in the nation. Last year, the Bulldogs rode the right arm of Eric Zeier to a 5-6 record. A little better defense, and a little better running game could have put the Bulldogs into the bowl picture. Ray Goff, with his job on the line, went out and hired Marion Campbell as his defensive coordina tor. That should help. When Campbell was head coach in Atlanta, his Falcons had problems putting the ball in the endzone, but little problem keeping the other team out of scoring territory. 1282 S. Houston Lake Rd. 988-8442 1101 Washington 987-0763 said Stephens. "With people in there that have carries. Three plays into the game, Blocker would take advantage of a Bulldog gift, picking up a loose ball at the 40 yard line and taking it all the way. A few minutes later, Blocker would score from seven yards out, as the Hornets would open a 12-0 lead. Although the Hornets would break the plane of the goal line only once during the second half, they dominated the clock, holding the ball all but six minutes. Shepley scored the final touchdown of the night for the Hornets, mak ing the score 20-7. Hornets 14 Stratford 22 The season was coming to end Stephens County for the Peach job. To fill the vacant Stephens job, Jay Russell left Rabun County. Morgan County’s Richard Williams moved to Rabun, Kenny Moore left Jackson to take the Morgan County job and Robbie Robinson departed Pike County for Jackson. The cycle stopped there as Pike hired Lowndes County assistant coach James Knowles. Retirement produced several va cancies, most notably the one at Northside of Warner Robins, where veteran coach Stan Gann’s retirement brought in Conrad Nix for his second stint as head coach of the Eagles. Likewise, Charlie Smith returns to the sidelines at Jones County following Bubba Williams' retirement. Bon well Royal retired at Coffee Perry kicks off with Jordan The Perry Panthers will open the 1994 football campaign on Sept. 2 with a home game against Jordan High School of Columbus. After playing Peach County on the road, Sept. 9, the Panthers will start the sub-region schedule with Pike County in Zebulon. The Panthers will play 10 games in 1994, with the final eight games Panther Football Schedule 9/2 Jordan (Columbus) Perry 8:00 9/9 Peach Co. Ft. Valley 8:00 9/16 Pike Co. Zebulon 8:00 9/23 Open 9/30 Jackson Perry 8:00 10/7 West Laurens Dublin 8:00 10/14 Dodge Co. Perry 8:00 10/21 Houston Co. Warner Robins 8:00 10/28 Mary Persons Perry 8:00 11/4 Bleckly Co. Cochran 8:00 11/11 Harris Co. Perry 8:00 Get That Touchdown!! m • | v' « S V Siilcs Service 520 Gen Courtney Hodges Blvd 987-0865 Wednesday, August 24,1994, Houston Times -Journal - Special Edition that capability, it gives you a defi nite advantage," said Stephens. with this game. Unfortunately, the end of the season came with a loss. Westfield had dominated the clock against George Walton; but, behind the running of Cranford (110 yards) and Smaha (96 yards), the Eagles held the ball 30 minutes in the game, and 16 minutes of the second half. The Hornet running game, which rolled up 97 yards in the first half, was shut down in the second period, with Westfield ball handlers losing one yard on seven totes. "It's been a remarkable year,” said head coach Ronnie Jones. "I just can't describe where we've came from." County and Charlie Winslette left state AA champion Greene- Taliaferro to take the Coffee job. Juby Shiver has retired at Manchester, and Bob Herndon was not rehired at Fitzgerald. Edgar Hatcher was fired at Southwest Macon and replaced by Bill Boyd, who was in the Bibb County sys tem, but who formerly was head coach at Baldwin County. Former Fort Valley player Bill Schofill retired at Swainsboro and Wilkinson County's Ricky Smith left the job for an assistant's posi tion at Baldwin. Even if you need a program to recognize the coaches, as well as the players, this year, it will as always be exciting and in teresting. High school football! Personally, I can't wait. on the schedule being against sub region opponents. The schedule has five home games, and five away games. The Panthers will meet new sub-region foe Houston County Oct. 21 in Warner Robins. Perry will close their regular season with a home game against Harris County on Nov. 11. Win ‘em W You Can d§Bl§ Do It! ... A Classic on Carroll 912 Carroll Street • Downtown Perry |U Catch That s If Ball& a I Win! S w pi If Perry Brake Z j* 1025 Macon Rd. *j? •& Perr y m ffiL 987-3813 W, - catch one’. Urt ■ 2-3 WEEK DEUVERY! LIFETIME WARRANTY “ ® offer enos September 9,1994. p erry Market Place • 988-8252 if Go Fight Win! nwWmftero 1639 Houston Lake Rd 987-4278 1 THE BANK OF PERRY 1006 Main Street • Perry 987-2554 987-2255 • M-FlO-6 • S 9-5 (Sr® lf©3F ftlhl© (Gr©M cSs WmS! Page 3C